Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are published at the discretion of the
Editor, as space permits. No letter which contains
defamatory or malicious statements will be published. Any
letter which contains questionable material will be sent to
the Office of Reservation Attorney for legal review. All
letters must contain the writer’s signature, address, and
telephone number (if available). Letters NOT signed will not
be published. Letters are limited to 450 words. Letters
exceeding 450 words may be published if space allows and the
Editor so chooses. The Editor reserves the right to edit any
letter for content, clarity, and length.
Views and opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor,
complimentary or critical, are those of the writer of the
letter. They are not endorsed by the Tribal Tribune staff,
Tribal Administration, Tribal Business Council, or the
Colville Confederated Tribes’ membership as a whole.
Life for Money?
Mining is a topic that I do not take lightly because I see it
as destructive to the environment. People want mining for
money? What do the people want…Life or Money?
As an American Indian, I am caretaker of the land and must
protect it for our future generations. The land isn’t ours—it
is borrowed from our children. I am concerned because such a
mine will affect the air, water, vegetation, and all living
organisms therein including the human race. In my opinion, the
entire process will deface Mother Earth beyond repair.
In the 1970’s tribal elders viewed Mount Tolman as a place of
reverence and it should be protected. It is very much a part
of who we are and probably one of the last pieces of our
culture that we have left. It is an ancestral grave site, as
well as a foundation for ceremonies and a lookout that the
Colville people have used for many generations. Now the
importance of protecting and preserving Mount Tolman is made
exceptionally clear to me. This time around the controversial
topic affects my generation and will greatly impact my
children’s and future grandchildren’s generation as well.
In recent years there have been many deaths from cancer,
leukemia, and other illnesses in our communities. I suspect
these illnesses are related to mining exploration. Relatives,
please take into consideration what will happen. The mountain
would be destroyed. The animals are extremely vulnerable
because the toxic effect of molybdenum is transferred to them
as they consume poisonous vegetation and water. Think about
our children. Their lives, and the future generations are more
precious to me than any promise of material gain. We consume
water. We breathe air. We live off of the land by gathering
foods, hunting wild game, and fishing in the various water
sources. It is our culture. The negative impact to our
environment is a threat to all of our future. Money in
exchange for a mountain doesn’t make sense to me especially if
it will heighten the content of radiation in the air. To put a
gaping hole in Mother Earth to get our tribes out of a
financial hole is not a guarantee of a future at all. Some
things are better off being left alone.
In the spirit of my Godfather Bobby Joe Covington,
Twila Jo Covington
27 year old tribal member
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Mining on our reservation
I’ve read reports and news
clips that Visions for our Future sent to me on the hazards of
molybdenum mining and how poisons get into the water and cause
diseases like cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses. I
can’t believe anyone would allow mining on our reservation
knowing what can happen. Isn’t that scary to anyone else?
Having had cancer, I would not wish that on anyone else. My
cancer was something that I could not prevent. Everyone can
prevent this from happening. Why aren’t they? Do they want to
suffer? Do they want to see their children and grandchildren
suffering with something that we can stop? I don’t.
When I went home in June, my heart hurt, seeing all the
logging they are doing. First I was so shocked, and hurt, and
thought about my children and their children. They will not
see the land as I once saw it. I just could not believe it.
Where there were many trees before, there are only stumps as
far as you can see. Mother Earth, poor Mother Earth, as Native
American Indians we are to be taking care of her. I started to
feel angry and helpless. I was angry at everyone who allows
all this. Can’t they see what is going to happen if they keep
going at the rate they are? Now I don’t know what is all
involved in logging. I just know what I see. They may replant
a tree for every one they take, but the tree they chopped took
years to grow. Then to hear of the mining, I know I am only
one person and nobody important enough but I wish there was
something I can do to stop all this.
Candice (Burris) Marchand, age 26, Tribal member
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Nothing Has Been Done!
Tribal Membership:
Just thought I’d let you know that the Tribal Council signed
off on a resolution to give Don Aubertin $100,000 on June 21,
2005. This was voted on a few days after the election, 3
out-going members signed off on it; Mel Tonasket, John
Stensgar, and Joe Pakootas. I’d always believed no major
legislation was to be passed during the lame duck period.
Don Aubertin recently retired from the BIA working in the
Geology Dept. (mining). In a previous meeting our
Superintendent wanted to give him $150,000 for a feasibility
study.
1. Don Aubertin was hired to compile & present all existing
data regarding the original Mt. Tolman project.
2. To provide the best information to the membership.
3. To propose a 4 month budget for the development of
informational presentations to educate the membership.
4. Develop a public affairs campaign to disseminate the
preliminary development plan to the members.
5. Evaluate the elements of the previous plan.
6. Develop the elements that would be incorporated in a mining
company request for proposal.
7. Identify staff and consultants required and a project
oversight committee.
8. Arrange a tour of the Thompson Creek mine in Challis,
Idaho.
9. Arrange a tour of the Mt. Tolman site.
10. The final informational meeting was to be planned for the
October General Membership meeting with a vote 2 weeks
thereafter.
Nothing Has Been Done!
The Colville Indian Environmental Protection Alliance opposes
this mine 100%.
1. The close proximity to Lake Roosevelt.
2. That the waste rock and tailings would be dumped in Meadow
Creek, Last Chance & Manila Creek as an alternative, which
flow into Lake Roosevelt.
3. That once we remove one mountain, they’ll want to take
more, until all of our mountains are gone, our reservation
will look like the Badlands, our resources gone, our air and
water ruined, the habitat removed.
4. That Mt. Tolman was recognized as a sacred mountain by our
ancestors, (we accept their religious freedom to recognize Mt.
Tolman as a cultural site.)
5. The EIS is obsolete (done in 1981 – nearly 25 years ago.)
(There are new homes in Keller, a new clinic, Headstart; we do
not need to disturb their way of life, to relocate.) There are
also a lot of new homes in Grand Coulee on Lake Roosevelt,
from Spring Canyon to Grand Coulee. What about all the people
downstream, Columbia Basin, with Banks Lake – Bacon Siphon
supplying water to orchards, farmland, vegetable and fruit
growers, recreational activities using the same water,
Brewster, Entiat, Azwell, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities.
6. We need a pro & con on mining – we are prepared and look
forward to educating the membership on the effects of mining.
7. So that as caretakers of the Mother Earth it will provide
for 7 generations down the road, to teach our young the
importance to carry on this legacy, that has been passed on to
us, this sacred trust that was put on our Council’s shoulders.
Gerry Gabriel, Sec-Treasurer
C.I.E.P.A.
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The Red Writer Speaks
Again
Well, once again we lose Our young people to Drugs and
Alcohol. When are we going to take a stand and do something
about this evil disease that is running rampant on the rez.
Have you leaders ever considered closing our boundaries not
only to drugs but to non-Indians that are taking over our rez.
I pray that the Lucy Covington power will come back to save
us. She was not afraid to make strong decisions and stick by
them.
Most of the people I talk to say our law and order force is a
joke. Have you heard of any major drug busts lately, as I have
said before, ask any third grader and they will tell you who
all the major drug dealers are…
Now, what’s up with our Indian Health Department, how did they
every get so far in the hole? Many of our elders are suffering
with multiple problems of a serious nature, yet some one is
making priority one decisions, and I sure hope they are
qualified to do so. Letters of denial are being sent out to
vendors even to those who are on oxygen. I received a letter
from Coulee Hospital that they would no longer provide
emergent service to me because IHS did not pay their secondary
part. CRAP.
And, now the elders must walk clear to the other end of
Nespelem IHS hall to sign in, I watch many 80 year old persons
do this. Please, some one look into this.
Well, this is my two bitches for this month, so until next
time… Power to the People and God Bless.
The Red Writer,
Mel “Bugs” Toulou, Sr.
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“King of the Hill”
I’m writing this letter as the newly crowned “King of the
Hill”. Although it was a very tough 4 races with its share of
wrecks, every horse and jockey came out with only minor
injuries only to race again. Some of the veteran jockeys said
Thursday night was the roughest race they’d ever been in. I
have always dreamed of being there in that race and becoming
the “champ”.
I would like to thank the people who made that possible, the
Omak Stampede Board, Owners & Jockeys Assoc., Colville
Confederated Tribes, CIPP, Detro’s Western Store, and all the
other sponsors who donated money, time and to the businesses
with their support signs. Also, thanks to my own support group
for your help and to my mentors Kerry and Aaron Carden.
Special thanks to two families for two people who aren’t here
to celebrate with me, my childhood hero, Les Moses on Ace, and
my brother who rode with me, Ken “Winterkill” Stensgar.
Thank you,
Tyler Peasley
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The ‘clique’ is the
minority
If you are a tribal member who is not part of ‘the clique’
like me, then this letter is to you:
The Council members, BIA employees, CTEC employees, tribal
managers, and others who want mining on our reservation don’t
care about you. All they care about is themselves.
Since the 1970’s some of these people owned shares in a
smaller corporation in Delaware that was set up by AMAX, Inc.
I don’t know the number of shareholders in our midst today,
but, if mining goes through, they will profit from it, not
you. Why else would they want mining so bad? They think that
as long as you get a few crumbs, you’ll be satisfied and you
won’t ask any questions.
Make sure you watch for a notice of an upcoming mining
referendum and vote ‘NO’ to mining. Vote NO on behalf of those
who are under voting age. I don’t know about you, but every
young person I’ve talked with does not want mining on our
reservation.
Yvonne Swan
Inchelium WA
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This land isn’t ours
To all Natives,
We need to find ways to help our people. We can’t look to
non-natives. They take advantage of us, because we are not
educated.
We have been told that our people will be taken care of by
letting them tear up our lands. After they are done and gone,
we are still in the same shape. We are left with our lands all
torn up for eternity, and the beauty lost forever.
Funds that we were supposed to be ours to improve our living
conditions go with them. It is just another broken promise we
have to live with. While the non-native walk away and goes to
his headquarters with the funds we were supposed to have. Also
there is no destruction there (at their places), because they
left it with our lands.
They can make good looking plans, but once they are put into
motions, everything will change. No matter how we plan things,
we can not make Mother Nature do what we want.
Some of you natives know because you have gone thru these
problems already. Maybe we can’t change what has taken place,
but we may help others not to fall into the same traps.
This land isn’t ours, but it is our responsibility to take
care of! If we don’t who is going to?
Steven Iukes, Sr.
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